Just picked up Nightwish's "Wishmaster"...been stuck on this band for a while now. Would have been better if I found them ten years ago. Perfect in DTS Neo 6. Now I want their album "Once". The band is sophisicated, and have (or had) one best fm lead singers I've experienced, Tarja.

Picked up Them Crooked Vultures today and am in the middle of listening of it, so far I am really digging what I'm hearing, the wife not so much but that will change with a glass of wine ... or two or three.

I was really pleased and surprised by this CD. With all the star power packed into the line up, I was afraid it would be too indulgent, but it is not--just some good straightforward rockin'.

One of my best friends from high school has been listening to some Rush lately. This is not surprising, because he is the guy that turned me on to Rush.

What I thought was cool is where their music has been played recently. Beau Dure is covering the Olympics for USA Today, and when I asked him on Facebook where Rush was during these games, he posted back: "I heard a ton of Rush at the ski jumping venue, which chopped up instrumental bits of songs. Heard Malignant Narcissism, guitar riffs from Anthem, some of YYZ -- fun stuff."

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"The Universe is the game of the self, which plays hide and seek forever and ever" - Alan Watts

I was really pleased and surprised by this CD. With all the star power packed into the line up, I was afraid it would be too indulgent, but it is not--just some good straightforward rockin'.

that's one of the things that really struck me about them. Its just rock for the sake of rock. I mean rock and roll couldn't be more out of style these days, but these guys keep it going just for the pure pleasure of playing that music.(Well I don't know that for sure, lol, they could be doing it for the money....)

But really, who else is doing pure rock these days? Most of the other rock out there seems to have like a headbanger element or an 80's arena rock element to it or some other thing that makes it slightly unsavory to an early 70's lovin' listener like myself. But this band does appeal to my inner 14 year old...lol which at this stage in my life is very, very welcome.

Other music I feel comfortable calling "rock" which has appealed to me relatively lately would be some Red Hot Chili Peppers, like the Stadium Arcadium album, or some of Chuck Prophet's stuff - which to be honest I'm not yet that familar with.

It just seems like rock got so, I dunno what's the word... YUCKY...that it drove me over to the Americana charts and some folkier type stuff, roots rock etc....none of which was BIG rock.

Them Crooked Vultures are BIG rock, but very tasty, without the 80's smarm. I guess they have a grunge element, seeing as how the drummer was Nirvana's, but it seems OK somehow. It just kind a brings it all back around.

I listened to that CD again on the way to work this morning and a couple of the songs were reminiscent of 'Rob Zombie meets Derek and the Dominos' with a touch of Led Zeppelin ... or Les Claypool. (I don't know why that thought kept entering my mind!)

I really like this disc.

Here's a link to 'New Fang' for those who haven't heard these guys ... New Fang

I took the rest of the week off and at Sam's Club today, purchased Celtic Woman "Songs from the Heart" Live DVD. I've never heard Celtic Woman before, thinking it was primarily a woman singer, but I was impressed with the music and the sensual beauty of the women that performed.